Château de Fieuzal
When one considers the lengthy history of many of the vineyards in the Graves region south of the city of Bordeaux, Château de Fieuzal is perhaps a little unusual when placed against its peers. A significant number vineyards in this region have been in existence for many centuries, some with ancient ecclesiastical origins, and as a generalisation they predate the now more famous châteaux of the Médoc by many years. This is only partly true in the case of Château de Fieuzal, the property having seen the passing of many centuries, and many owners too, including the Rochefoucauld family who held tenure here prior to the Revolution. The vineyard, however, is a much more recent addition, not having been established until the early 19th century, gradually becoming the predominant agricultural activity on an estate which up until that time had been more used to forestry. Despite this, the estate was ranked alongside a handful of others, some more ancient and prestigious, in the 1959 Graves classification. Today it remains one of this notable group of Pessac-Léognan estates.
Fieuzal’s Origins
Although the vineyard proper dates from the time of Napoleon’s reign, it is not until later in the century that pertinent documents begin to record the existence of the estate and its annual production figures. Details on the identity of the owners during this transformation are few and far between. In the earlier part of the century it does indeed appear to be in the possession of the Fieuzal family, the obvious source of the estate’s modern-day name, and they owned not only this estate but also the adjacent Château Haut-Gardère.
